Li Mu lay with his eyes closed, flat on his back against the pillow, motionless, his entire being still immersed in the lingering afterglow of the ultimate pleasure that had brought him to the peak moments before.

Scalding sweat poured forth eagerly from every pore that had dilated across his skin’s surface.

His heart, having experienced numerous ups and downs throughout this difficult, endless night, now beat like an urgent war drum struck by strong arms during the fierce battle charge on a battlefield, violently pounding against his chest cavity with thunderous beats.

Such soul-stirring, overwhelming satisfaction had never been experienced in two lifetimes.

His lips moved slightly as he extended his arm, wanting to pull the girl beside him into his embrace again, but his hand found only empty space.

Opening those eyes still dark in color, still faintly streaked with blood, he turned his head to see she had already moved far from him, rolled to the innermost side of the bed, and covered herself completely from head to toe with the quilt.

As if she never wanted to see him again.

Before his eyes appeared the scene from moments ago—her crying with reddened eyes beneath him, begging him to hurry—both pitiful and adorable. The corners of his eyes unconsciously showed a trace of smile.

With his voice still hoarse from their lovemaking, he called out softly, “A’Mi.”

…

Long before her marriage, Luoshen had received instruction from A’Ju.

At that time, A’Ju had shown her something and said that when a girl becomes a woman, the first time inevitably involves some pain, but it would pass and be fine afterward.

She knew that thing was the difference between men and women.

Finding it too ugly and feeling resistant, she naturally wouldn’t look closely at the time—just glanced briefly before turning away in disgust.

As for the pain…

From childhood to adulthood, the only time she could remember experiencing it was the feeling when she accidentally fell from the swing last spring.

Although it was somewhat painful, she felt she could still endure it.

Moreover, A’Ju had spoken of it so casually at the time. She had worried for a few days, but by now had long forgotten about it.

At the beginning of her marriage, she had no need to worry about these things at all.

On their wedding night, she had completely held the upper hand.

Afterward, without question, she had continuously overwhelmed Li Mu.

Until tonight, when the moment of transforming from girl to woman arrived so unexpectedly.

What she never could have imagined was that Li Mu’s would be so formidable—incomparably more terrifying than that thing she had glimpsed in her memory.

If that thing had been a dagger, what she truly had to face was a massive ghostly blade.

As for the degree of pain, it was beyond anything she could have previously imagined.

Even before he touched her, just imagining having to endure such a terrifying enormous thing, her small face had already turned half white.

When Li Mu entered the room, it was still evening with daylight outside.

Now that it was over, it was already the latter half of the night.

During this long time, these lengthy hours, it wasn’t that he had been insanely torturing her the entire time.

Rather, she had probably forgotten everything else early on, with only one sentence he had said to her firmly lodged in her mind: “If it hurts, tell me.”

“Li Mu, you’re not allowed to touch me anymore—”

“Wuu—it hurts—”

“Bad man! You’re hurting me to death—”

Throughout the night, such delicate cries were endless within the bed curtains.

From initially giving orders imperiously to later pleading and begging.

He was like a valiant soldier who had crossed the river—his battle flags clearly raised high, arrows nocked and ready—yet under the sweet commands of the delicate beauty beneath him, he had to repeatedly lower his flags and retreat halfway.

Both were covered in sweat, wave after wave of perspiration.

He could only coax her, try once more, waiting for her to be willing to accept him.

An entire long half of the night passed this way.

It was truly too frightening, too painful.

She would rather not consummate the marriage at all!

But the last time, he didn’t listen to her anymore.

Taking advantage of when she was drowsy in his arms, he swallowed her whole, alive.

He paid no attention to how she struggled—though it seemed she hadn’t struggled much, as she was already exhausted at the time and before she could react, the deed was done.

She was also frightened by him.

He had looked down at her then. In his gaze fixed on her, Luoshen seemed to experience once again the feeling from evening when he had been beaten by his mother and turned back to look at her.

Tiger-like vigilance and hawk-like intensity. Fierce and menacing.

Very frightening.

So she closed her eyes and began crying with broken sobs.

Actually, the sensation afterward wasn’t as terrible as she had imagined.

It even gradually became comfortable.

But she just wanted to cry.

Having finally been released by him, she immediately rolled away from him. Now hiding under the covers, her entire being seemed not yet reassembled from that shattered, fragmented feeling. Her hands were weak, legs soft, waist aching, back painful. She gradually felt stifled and uncomfortable but refused to poke her head out herself.

Just as she felt ashamed, annoyed, and heartbroken, she suddenly felt a hand reaching over under the covers behind her.

That hand wound its way over, resting on her body, its burning palm pressing against her.

He also slipped into her covers, embracing her from behind, completely drawing her into the space between his chest and arms.

He kissed her sweaty back, then turned her to face him, pulling away the covers that had hidden her head and face.

Luoshen kept her eyes closed, silently shedding tears.

“It’s all my fault. Hit me.”

Luoshen felt his face lean over, kissing away the tears on her face. He took her hand, wanting her to hit him, yet his voice clearly carried joyful laughter, making her feel even more wronged and cry even more sadly. She began to hiccup with sobs, her shoulders shaking.

Li Mu finally seemed to panic, holding her tightly and continuously coaxing her.

“A’Mi, open your eyes and look at me, will you…”

Hearing him plead with her once again to look at him, Luoshen instead closed her eyes even more tightly, sobbing, “Why should I look at you! I don’t want to see you anymore! I already told you I didn’t say anything bad about you to Mother! When Mother beat you, why blame me for it!”

“What kind of person do you take me for? Please be good with me, won’t you?”

She mumbled and shouted, using all her remaining pitiful strength to try to break free from his embrace.

That strong masculine instinct that had driven him all night long gradually receded like a tide after being satisfied.

He looked at the girl flailing about randomly in his arms and faintly showed a trace of smile at the corner of his eyes. Bringing his lips to her ear, he said softly, “I’ve long wanted to be intimate with you, fearing you wouldn’t want me. Do you know?”

Luoshen stopped her sobbing. Those wet eyelashes trembled slightly a few times before she finally opened her reddened crying eyes and looked at him.

Li Mu raised his palm, lovingly wiping away the tear stains on her face, giving her a gentle smile.

Luoshen’s face heated up. Her white teeth slowly bit her red lips. After staring blankly for a moment, she suddenly struggled again.

“If that’s so, why did you look at me so fiercely when Mother beat you?”

“You were clearly blaming me!”

Li Mu couldn’t help but laugh.

He was somewhat at a loss.

How could this confused, innocent girl in his arms understand his feelings at that moment when, through his mother’s words, he who had been anxious about gain and loss suddenly comprehended her resentment and grievance?

How could she understand that with each strike of his mother’s ruler, the physical pain instead made his blood surge uncontrollably, and the beast that had been caged in his heart suddenly raised its head, restless and eager, desperately wanting to devour her completely?

He hesitated, then leaned close to her ear again.

“You saw wrong,” he said.

“I wasn’t blaming A’Mi then. I wanted A’Mi, desperately wanted…”

His voice was low and mellow, carrying an unprecedented hoarseness, accompanied by moist, heated breath that swept over the skin at Luoshen’s ear.

Her face immediately flushed with shame. Before she could react, her face heated up as he kissed her again.

Luoshen was still somewhat unaccustomed to this strange lip and tongue kissing, her heart immediately pounding like a startled deer.

But this time, his kiss seemed to carry the meaning of caressing. His lips and tongue were extremely gentle and no longer hurt her.

He also didn’t force her to open her mouth and respond as he had before.

She gradually felt comfortable, becoming dizzy and slowly closing her eyes, lying still against the side of his chest.

With their skin touching, the girl in his arms now so docile.

Soon, Li Mu’s blood heated again with surging desire.

But knowing he had indeed lost restraint initially and she had been quite frightened—with her delicate and soft body probably unable to endure another round—he forcibly suppressed his desire. Not daring to let her lie so completely unclothed before him any longer, he gently released her, sat up, retrieved her clothes from the foot of the bed that had been wrinkled into a ball, and helped her dress, properly arranging her clothing. He also took his own clothes and put them on.

At this moment, he heard a soft voice from behind: “Does it still hurt?”

Li Mu turned his head.

He saw her slowly sitting up, her raven hair cascading over her shoulders, tears still on her face. Those beautiful eyes, still showing traces of red swelling from crying, were gazing at his back.

That familiar scene from the past suddenly flashed before him once again.

Li Mu froze.

He watched her crawl out from under the covers, crawl behind him, push aside his half-worn clothes to expose his back, staring at the welts left by the beating.

She extended one finger, carefully touched it once, then quickly withdrew it, complaining softly.

“Mother struck so heavily! I was terrified… Does it still hurt?”

She raised her small face to look at him.

Mother had indeed been heavy-handed. The welts on his back were now even more swollen and red. At the edges where the ruler had struck, tiny spots of bruised blood had appeared. Combined with the earlier coating of salty, hot sweat, it burned like fire.

Only at the time, that kind of physical pain had instead further stimulated his senses.

But at this moment, Li Mu suddenly felt warmth in his eyes.

He seemed to return to that night years ago, seeing that woman from before.

If that night hadn’t been followed by conspiracy and bloodshed, if he could have been more vigilant, what would fate have looked like?

He gazed at this young girl before him, meeting those beautiful eyes. After a long moment, he shook his head and smiled slightly: “It doesn’t hurt.”

She sighed, furrowed her delicate brows, and ordered him to fetch the medicine.

Li Mu silently got off the bed and retrieved the bottle of ointment she had used before.

She took it, ordered him to remove his clothes and lie on the bed. She knelt beside him, using a cloth to gently wipe the sweat from his back. As if afraid he might feel pain, she also blew on it while wiping.

Then she used her finger to apply the ointment, gently spreading it on the welts on his back.

The room was completely quiet, without any sound.

Li Mu closed his eyes, feeling her fingers moving back and forth across his skin.

Heat mixed with coolness, comfort between the pain.

At this moment, she was completely focused on him.

She belonged entirely to him.

His ambitions, her Lu Jianzhi, her parents, and the inevitable storms of blood and violence on his future path back to the pinnacle of power.

Everything, at this moment, suddenly seemed less important than the gentleness of this girl beside him as she lowered her head and eyes.

For such a brief instant, Li Mu even hoped this moment could continue forever.

That this night would never see dawn.

But she still finished applying his medicine and told him to get up.

Li Mu slowly opened his eyes, sat up, put his clothes back on. As he was arranging his clothing, he heard her make a sound of surprise. She reached out to pull open his garment, pointing to that new arrow wound on his ribs: “When did you get this injury?”

Li Mu looked down at it.

“I was hit by a stray arrow during the last battle in Bajun…”

“Last night weren’t you arguing with me, saying I had some beauty there? At that time I had broken ribs and it hurt with every movement. Unless you came, even if it were a goddess from the ninth heaven, I wouldn’t spare her a second glance.”

He spoke with a smile again, his gaze falling on her face.

Luoshen felt both heartache and embarrassment, with a little secret pride in her heart. Covering her face with both hands, she shook her head: “Don’t say anymore! It’s all that detestable Sun Fangzhi’s fault! Next time I see him, I must scold him thoroughly!”

Li Mu laughed, extended his arm to pull her into his embrace, removed the hands covering her face, kissed her forehead, and asked if she was hungry.

Reminded by him, Luoshen only then remembered that after he entered the room, he had closed the door and trapped her on the bed.

From evening until now, she was so exhausted she was nearly fainting, starving, yet hadn’t even had a sip of water.

She nodded.

Li Mu then released her, got off the bed himself, walked to the door, and opened it.

From the moment Li Mu entered the room in the evening, A’Ju had sensed something was about to happen. She was somewhat nervous and even more worried. So late at night, seeing the lamp still lit in the room, how could she leave? She personally waited nearby.

Suddenly seeing the door open and Li Mu appear, she anxiously stepped forward. Seeing his smiling face, her heart first settled somewhat. When she heard him say A’Mi was hungry, she completely relaxed, smiled and nodded, saying she had already instructed the cook to keep hot food ready. She asked him to wait a moment and personally led people to fetch the meal.

The food was quickly brought. Li Mu took it, told A’Ju and the others to go rest, and returned to the room. Seeing she was still weak in hands and feet, he simply held her at the dining table. After she ate, he carried her back to bed, used the hot water that had been brought in to help her clean up, tidied everything, then extinguished the lamp and got into bed himself.

He pulled her into his arms, gently patted her back, and said softly, “Sleep.”

Luoshen nestled comfortably against his chest, yawned, closed her eyes, and immediately fell asleep.

The next morning, she woke from a full, satisfying sleep quite late.

Outside the window, the sun was high in the sky, and the room was bright.

Li Mu had surprisingly stayed in bed with her for once.

However, he looked like he had been awake for a long time, leaning against the headboard, motionless, as if thinking about something. Sensing movement from Luoshen beside him, he looked down. Seeing her extend two snow-white slender arms from under the covers and stretch with her eyes closed, his face showed a smile: “Awake?”

His chin showed traces of short stubble that had emerged after this long night, but his eyes were bright and his spirit vigorous.

When Luoshen met his eyes, her mind filled with scene after scene from last night. Her heart felt somewhat sweet, somewhat shy, and somewhat bewildered.

For a moment she didn’t know how to face him properly.

She simply closed her eyes, ducked her head, wanting to hide under the covers first.

Li Mu was apparently amused by her appearance. With hearty laughter, he pulled her out from under the covers, held her in his arms, and brought his face close to be intimate with her.

Luoshen’s skin was delicate and tender. Being scratched by his face felt somewhat prickly and itchy. She couldn’t help but giggle, placing both hands in front of her chest and pushing him hard. But he retaliated by rubbing his face against hers, immediately leaving a red mark on her snow-white skin.

While Luoshen frantically tried to block him with her hands and pouted, continuously complaining about his roughness, she had completely forgotten the feeling of not knowing how to face him when she first woke up.

Only then did Li Mu laugh and stop, taking clothes to personally dress her piece by piece, opening the door to call people in to serve her washing and hair arrangement.

After both were ready, it was nearly noon. Li Mu brought Luoshen to Lu Shi’s place.

Last night’s events were truly mortifying.

Luoshen was initially somewhat embarrassed, but seeing his mother was no different from usual, smiling and only asking if she was hungry, saying if so they would eat immediately, as if she had already forgotten yesterday’s incident of severely beating her son with the ruler, she gradually felt at ease.

As for A’Ting, she was even more innocent and knew nothing. During the meal, she only complained that her brother had gone to his room early last night and come out late today, so she couldn’t find her sister-in-law to talk.

“Sister-in-law, yesterday I heard people say the peach blossoms at Golden Mountain are already blooming! Brother, look what fine weather it is today. You must have nothing to do—why don’t you take sister-in-law to enjoy them? If we wait a few more days, the peach blossoms might all fall!”

A’Ting looked at Li Mu hopefully.

This spring of Xingping’s sixteenth year seemed to have come particularly early.

Two days ago, Luoshen had seen two new swallows fly under the eaves by the main gate, carrying spring mud in and out, busy building their nest.

Li Mu smiled and glanced at Luoshen, who was seriously eating with her head down. He leaned over, bringing his lips to her ear, and asked softly, “Can you still walk today?”

Luoshen immediately blushed deeply, fortunately Mother across from them couldn’t see.

She ignored him and secretly kicked him under the table.

Li Mu then raised his head and smiled at A’Ting: “If your sister-in-law goes, I’ll take you both.”

“Sister-in-law?”

A’Ting looked joyfully at Luoshen.

How could Luoshen refuse her sister-in-law?

So after the meal, they returned to their room to digest, then prepared to go out to enjoy the peach blossoms.

As Li Mu was preparing the carriage and waiting at the gate, a messenger from the government office arrived on horseback with a letter from Jiankang.

The letter was sent by Gao Qiao, saying there was urgent business and ordering Li Mu to go to Jiankang to see him immediately upon receiving the letter.

Between the lines, his tone showed displeasure.

From behind the screen wall came the sound of his sister and her footsteps as they emerged.

Li Mu’s gaze flickered slightly. He put away the letter and went to meet them.

Luoshen was walking out chatting and laughing with A’Ting when she suddenly saw the messenger’s departing figure. She stopped and asked, “Is there something?”

Li Mu looked her over.

Today Luoshen wore a spring-water green pleated jacket and skirt. With her graceful bearing, white teeth, and jade-like skin, fearing the evening wind would be cold, she had draped a rosy cloud-patterned silk shawl over her shoulders. As the wind blew, her skirt fluttered, her entire being radiating the breath of spring from head to toe.

Seeing him only gazing at her without speaking, Luoshen bit her lip and used the veil in her hand to touch his arm: “I’m asking you!”

Li Mu said “Oh” and then smiled: “Nothing. Just received a letter. Let’s go, get on the road. If we’re late, there might be crowds.”